The invention pertains to interactive skill assessment and learning systems and methods. More particularly, the invention pertains to computer-based interactive learning systems that not only identify skill gaps in a user but also map a precise training regimen to fill the identified skill gap.
Computer based interactive learning management systems are known. One particular example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,243 to Lubin et al. entitled Interactive Learning System, which is Assignee to the Assignee hereof. Others include U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,904 to Graves, U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,685 to Brush et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,309 to Egnor, U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,865 to Lee et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,302,132 to Corder, U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,154 to Ujita et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,553 to Collins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,891 to Kaplan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,213 to Makipaa, U.S. Pat. No.5,597,311 to Yanagida et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,182 to Thomas, U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,906 to Corder, U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,149 to Johnson, III et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,736 to Griswold et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,373 to Yates, et al., Tennyson, xe2x80x9cUse of Adaptive Information for Advisement in Learning Concepts and Rules Using Computer-Assisted Instruction,xe2x80x9d Rothen and Tennyson, xe2x80x9cApplication of Bayes"" Theory in Designing Computer-Based Adaptive Instructional Strategies,xe2x80x9d Steinberg, xe2x80x9cReview of Student Control in Computer-Assisted Instruction,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cCMI Guidelines for Interoperability AICC,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9cThe NETg(copyright) Mastery Test Strategy,xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cThe Skill Builder(copyright) Philosophy: Learning by Design.xe2x80x9d
Traditionally, organizations have focused their workforce by creating fairly narrowly defined jobs and improving the skill-sets of the individuals in those jobs by using periodic training. However, as the workplace environment becomes ever more dynamic, job requirements are becoming increasingly more fluid with corresponding employee skill deficiencies that need to be identified in near real-time. Modern-day organizations require their workforce to have varying levels of knowledge and skills in the same subjects. Organizations are posturing themselves to develop accurate profiles of their employees, knowing what knowledge and skills are present within the organization, the competency levels required for each job, where the deficiencies are, and how to provide timely skills upgrading. The traditional manual association (i.e., linkage) of knowledge and skill-set requirements to training interventions is a resource-intensive activity that cannot provide timely responses to ever-changing job requirements. Automated tools and procedures are needed to assist organizations in prescribing the exact training interventions that are needed to satisfy employee skill deficiencies. Thus, in order to fulfill these needs, skills management systems and learning management systems must incorporate an automated system and method that can perform the analysis of employee skill deficiencies and provide a precise training regimen that will bring the employee to the desired competency level. This system and method must also be responsive to organizational skill changes/upgrading and the introduction of new/changed training programs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for creating an interactive learning environment that is specific to a task desired to be learned and to a skill level already possessed by the user.
It is a further object to provide such a system and method that identify a gap between skills possessed by a user and those desired by an organization.
It is another object to provide such a system and method for testing the user before and/or after completing a selected curriculum.
It is also an object to provide such a system and method for developing a customizable learning system.
Another object is to provide a method for maintaining and updating such a customizable learning system.
A further objective is to provide such a method that operates to maintain and upgrade the linkages between skilling objects, which comprise integral skills, and training interventions commensurate with an introduction of new skilling objects or training interventions or changes to existing ones.
In accordance with the invention, an interactive learning system and method are provided that identify a xe2x80x9cgapxe2x80x9d between the skill(s) possessed by the individual and those required by an organization and then creates a training regimen to fill that gap. The system and method precisely map the training to the defined required skills. In one aspect of the invention, an individualized learning sequence can be developed and presented to the user for the purpose of improving a user""s skill and understanding with respect to selected subject matter. While known prior art systems use manual linking of recommended training elements with a desired skill to be learned, the present automatic invention reduces, by at least 95%, the time required to create a link.
The system and method in accordance with the present invention incorporate a computer-based, automatic determination of an individualized learning sequence for a user. The method comprises the steps of identifying a skill desired to be possessed of a user and accessing a first electronic database that comprises a set of skills currently possessed by the user. Next the desired skill is compared with the possessed set of skills. If the possessed set of skills does not comprise the desired skill, the desired skill is mapped with a training regimen resident in a second electronic database. Then the user is automatically presented with the training regimen.
In a preferred embodiment of the method, a desired skill level is also specified and compared with the skill level currently possessed by the user. If the desired skill level has not yet been achieved, again a mapping is performed and a linked training regimen presented to the user.
In an alternate embodiment, if a set of skills and skill levels for the user is not available for accessing, the user instead may be preassessed, with the resultant skill level compared against that. desired.
Another aspect of the present invention is a system and method for developing a customizable learning system. The method comprises the steps of constructing a first electronic table comprising a plurality of skills and a second electronic table comprising a list of training regimen identifiers. Then each skill is mapped to at least one training regimen identifier.
A first database is constructed that is adapted to contain a list of users and a set of skills possessed by each user, and a second database is constructed that is adapted to contain a training regimen associated with each training regimen identifier. A user interface is created that is adapted to receive a selection of a skill desired to be learned from a user, wherein the skill is an element of the first table.
A means is created for accessing from the second database a training regimen that corresponds to the skill/training regimen identifier mapping and for presenting the user with the accessed training regimen.
In a preferred embodiment, the second database comprises a prestored, machine-readable database having a plurality of questions or exercises directed towards assessing the individual""s understanding of a selected learning objective. A plurality of questions are provided for each member of a plurality of different skills.
The system carries out an automatic evaluation of the individual, if desired, by sequentially selecting from the database at least one of the questions or exercises associated with each member of the plurality of skills. The selected question or exercise is displayed for the individual, who in turn enters a response. Each of the responses that is received is evaluated relative to a predetermined standard before the next question is selected.
The system accumulates the responses and the results of the evaluations for subsequent processing.
The system in turn produces from the results of the evaluations a training regimen comprising a sequence of instructional units based on those responses that varied materially from the respective standard that are intended to improve the user""s skills on an individualized basis. The sequence of instructional units can then be presented on a display, for example. The individual can then progress through the sequence of units so as to improve selected skills in response to the prior evaluation.
In one aspect of the invention, subsequent to complete execution of the training regimen, the user can then go through a postlearning evaluation or test for comparison purposes. If the results of the post-testing indicate that the user has not yet attained the desired skill level, the user is recycled through the system, with a second training regimen automatically produced based upon the postlearning evaluation.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings in which the details of the invention are fully and completely disclosed as a part of this specification.